Fool guardians

We know, often from court account records, that court jesters, particularly of the ‘natural’ fool variety, were sometimes allocated a carer or guardian.  Here Thony is described as having had two such carers.

Louis de la Proue (whose nickname was ‘La Farce’), was described as the guardian (‘gouverneur’) of Thony and the editor deduces from the original source that he was a ‘fou du roy’ himself. Tantalising as that would be, I believe the French reads two ways, with ‘fou du roy’ either describing the guardian, or simply referring to his ward, the fool Thony, and I incline to the latter reading. We’ll need to find other references to La Farce to know if he played a dual role.

Les gouverneurs des fous de cour étoient eux-mêmes des bouffons, témoins ceux qu’on avoit donnés pour maîtres à Thoni, fou de Henri II et de Charles IX: l’un s’appeloit Gui, l’autre La Farce. Il est parlé de celui-ci, dont nous ne venons, bien entendu, de dire que le surnom, dans une pièce qui se trouvoit parmi les archives de M. le baron de Joursanvault, et que le Catalogue (1re partie, p. 64, no. 447) analyse ainsi: «Louis de la Proue, dit La Farce, gouverneur de Thouyn (c’est le vrai nom de Toni), fou du roy, va avec ledit Thouyn trouver le duc de Lorraine de la part du roi.» (1560.)

Thony was jester to Anne de Montmorency (1493-1567), Marshal and Constable of France who served five kings.  Thony was also later jester to Henri II (r. 1547-59) and Charles IX (r. 1560-74).  The portrait featured here is one of four jester portraits by François Clouet, shortly to be featured in The Fooleum.

Source: Catalogue analytique des archives de M. le baron de Joursanvault: contenant une précieuse collection de manuscrits, chartes et documens originaux au nombre de plus de quatre-vingt mille, concernant l’histoire générale de la France – l’histoire particulière des provinces – l’histoire de la noblesse et l’art héraldique…. 2 vols (Paris: J. Techener, 1838), vol. 1, p. 64, no. 447.  Available online at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, here.

Image credit: ‘Thonin, fou du connétable Anne de Montmorency puis de Henri II’ (c. 1558), François Clouet (1515-72); inscription: donnant l’identité du modèle, marque concernant les collections: Thonin; Musée Condé; photo © Thierry Le Mage, Réunion des musées nationaux

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